Jeremiah 37:1-10

Jerusalem's Last Days

1 Zedekiah son of Josiah reigned as king in the land of Judah in place of Jehoiachin[a] son of Jehoiakim, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made him king.
2 He and his officers and the people of the land did not obey the words of the Lord that He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.
3 Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal[b] son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah[c] son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, requesting, "Please pray to the Lord our God for us!"
4 Jeremiah was going about his daily tasks[d] among the people, for they had not [yet] put him into the prison.
5 Pharaoh's army had left Egypt, and when the Chaldeans, who were besieging Jerusalem, heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet:
7 "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: This is what you will say to Judah's king, who is sending you to inquire of Me: Watch: Pharaoh's army, which has come out to help you, is going to return to its own land of Egypt.
8 The Chaldeans will then return and fight against this city. They will capture it and burn it down.[e]
9 This is what the Lord says: Don't deceive yourselves by saying: The Chaldeans will leave us for good, for they will not leave.
10 Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire Chaldean army that is fighting with you, and there remained among them only the badly wounded[f] men, each in his tent, they would get up and burn this city down."

Jeremiah 37:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 37

This chapter makes mention of the reign of Zedekiah, and what happened in it; of his message to Jeremiah, to pray for the kingdom; of the king of Babylonian's raising the siege of Jerusalem, on hearing the king of Egypt was coming to its relief; of the assurance the prophet gave that the Chaldean army would return again, and destroy the city; of the prophet's attempt to depart the city, his imprisonment, conversation with Zedekiah, and his clemency to him. A short account is given of Zedekiah, and of the disobedience of him and his people to the word of the Lord, Jer 37:1,2; of the message sent by him to the prophet to pray for them, Jer 37:3; the time, when Jeremiah was at liberty, and the siege of Jerusalem was raised, Jer 37:4,5; the prophet's answer to them from the Lord, assuring them the Chaldeans would return and burn the city, Jer 37:6-10; the prophet attempting to go out of the city is stopped, and charged as a deserter to the Chaldeans; is had before the princes, and beat and imprisoned, Jer 37:11-15; but the king sending for him out of prison, and having some private discourse with him, upon the prophet's expostulation and intercession, his confinement was mitigated, and bread allowed him, Jer 37:16-21.

Footnotes 6

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